The Chocolate Shoppe
by LullabyDust
Summary: Life, as we all know, revolves around chocolate. This is particularly the case for Kurogane and Fai, and Syaoran and Sakura's chocolate shoppe! KuroFai, with plenty of SyaoSaku thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
1. Dessert for a Picnic

_Ring!_

Sakura looked up at the sound of the shop bell ringing. A thin blonde man entered the store, dragging a very reluctant tall man behind him.

"Come on, Kuro-sena! We can't have a picnic without dessert, and this is the place to get it!"

"Stop calling me that," snapped the red-eyed man, glowering.

"Oh, hello, Fai-san," said Syaoran, pausing on his way to the back with a pile of dirty dishes balanced in his hands. "Who do you have with you?"

"This is Kuro-chu," Fai introduced him, beaming.

"My name is Kurogane," growled the man. Sakura laughed gently.

"Well, why don't you two pick something out? Everything's half-off today," Sakura told them. Syaoran shot her a glance as he ducked into the back room, but Sakura ignored him. Fai was grinning one of the rare smiles he gave when he was truly happy, and she was determined to keep him that way.

"What about this, Kuro-pi? It looks so _good,"_ Fai exclaimed, leaning over the display case and pointing.

"Sure," grumbled Kurogane. Sakura slid the treat out of the case and into a paper bag, handing it to Fai.

"Anything else?"

"No, that's all," said Fai happily. Sakura rang them up and took the ivory dollars Kurogane handed her.

"Y'all have a good time, alright?" called Syaoran, reappearing as they left. He turned to Sakura once they were gone. "It's been a long time since I've seen him smile like that."

"It has, hasn't it?" agreed Sakura. "Kurogane must make him very happy."


	2. The First Visit

**Two Years Ago**

Fai stared into space, running his finger around the rim of his empty cup, the barest hint of the smile he always wore tugging at the corners of his lips, but his eye gave him away.

"It's three ivies for a refill, love," the waitress told him as she brushed past.

"No, that's alright," Fai said, barely looking at her as his voice trailed off. The waitress glanced back at him, ignoring the false smile and instead taking in the slightly haunted look he had about him.

"Tell you what, love," she said, whisking away his empty mug and plopping down another one filled with steaming hot chocolate. "It's on the house."

"Oh," said Fai, surprised. "Thank you, ah..." She wasn't wearing a name tag.

"You can call me Sakura," said the girl. She set the tray down on the counter, checked her watch and then looked around. Fai was the only one left in the shop. "Syaoran-kun, I'm going to take my break now, alright?"

"No problem," replied the boy behind the counter, picking up the tray and carrying it to the back room. Sakura turned around and pulled out a chair across from Fai.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked.

"Not at all," said Fai, even though he did. He had come here for peace and quiet and didn't really want to be bothered.

"So what brings you here? I haven't seen your face before."

"I go to college down at Phoenix University. A friend said this place had the best hot chocolate in town."

"Well, it's true. What's his name? I'd like to thank him for recommending us."

Fai bowed his head, the word paused on his lips. He didn't want to say it. _Everyone_ knew about the car crash that had killed his brother and his best friend, and he had grown sick of the pity glances he got from everyone. That was the real reason he was here.

"He moved away," he said after a little while, "so it doesn't really matter, I guess." He stood up. "Thank you for the hot chocolate, but I think I'll be going now."

Sakura said nothing, but her green eyes spoke volumes. They seemed to break right through his façade and see into him, and Fai didn't like it at all. He left without another word.


	3. Another First

"How long has it been since Fai-san was last here?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"About two weeks," said Syaoran absently, wiping up the tables and putting up the chairs when he had finished.

"He usually comes, what, twice a week? At least."

"Usually," agreed Syaoran.

"Maybe he and Kurogane-san broke up," said Sakura, her voice and eyes filled with concern.

"I'm sure here would be the first place he'd come to if they did," Syaoran assured her. "Maybe he just took a vacation."

"He would have told us, don't you think? Oh, I really hope they're still together. Kurogane-san makes him so _happy."_

"I'm sure he'll be here tomorrow."

"That's what you said yesterday."

Syaoran placed a hand on her shoulder and gently kissed her forehead.

"You shouldn't worry so much," he told her. "Fai's a grown man. He can take care of himself."

Sakura relaxed for a few seconds, then suddenly gasped.

"Oh, look, there they are!" she exclaimed.

Fai strode across the sidewalk, chatting happily, with a very annoyed Kurogane in tow. Fai stopped mid-step and did a little twirl for emphasis on something he had said, then peered up at Kurogane, eye shining, like he was waiting for an answer.

Kurogane sighed, crossed his arms, and frowned. He looked Fai up and down, sighed again, then reached out, tilted Fai's chin up and kissed him.

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed. "Syaoran-kun, do you think that's their first kiss?"

"Either way, I don't really think we should be watching," Syaoran said, but neither looked away.

Fai wrapped his arms around Kurogane's neck and beamed when he broke away. He said something that made Kurogane blush furiously and then waltzed off, dragging Kurogane behind by the arm.

"How sweet," cooed Sakura. "Don't you think, Syaoran-kun?"

"I think it's time we both went home, princess," Syaoran said. Sakura punched him in the arm.

"Stop calling me that," she scolded. "It's not funny anymore."

Syaoran laughed gently.

"Of course, Sakura-chan. I'm sorry."


	4. An Anniversary

**1 ½ Years Ago**

"Well, it's been a while since we've seen your face, hasn't it, Syaoran-kun?"

"Certainly has," agreed Syaoran, who was wiping the counters with a rag. Fai smiled, but wondered how they remembered him- it had been six months since his first visit.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I remember your name," he told the girl.

"That's alright, hon, 'cause I never got yours at all. I'm Sakura."

"Fai," he told her.

"Well, Fai-san, what can I do for ya?"

"Good question," said Fai, reviewing the options before him. "I think... I'll go for the chocolate turtles."

"Sure thing," said Sakura, whisking out the tray and pulling out two of the small treats.

"Ah, just one, please."

"They're two for the price of one today," Sakura told him calmly, slipping them into a paper bag. Syaoran frowned in her direction, but she ignored him. "Besides, you look like you could use some cheering up, and chocolate always does the trick- for me, at least."

Fai stared at her. He had almost- _almost- _managed to forget that he had just been visiting his friend's and his brother's graves, _almost_ managed to forget that today was six months to the day since he had last seen Yui and Ashura. _Almost._

But he pinned his smile in place, issued a quick 'thank you' and dashed out the door before- he hoped- she could see the hot tears sliding down his cheeks.


	5. Moving In

"Back again, are you?"

Kurogane plopped down into the nearest chair with a gruff 'hello' while Fai flounced over to the counter and picked out a handful of chocolates.

"On the house," Sakura told him when Fai reached for his wallet, and like so many times before Syaoran gave her that would-you-at-least-_ask_-before-giving-away-free-food look, which like so many times before she ignored. They were the best chocolatier in town; there were always more customers.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," said Fai before sitting down next to Kurogane. A moment later, the girl placed two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in front of them, much to the annoyance of Syaoran, and walked into the back to help clean up after the mid-day rush.

"Thanks," Kurogane mumbled after her, then blushed a deep crimson when Fai tried to feed him a piece of chocolate. "Fai-chan," he hissed, "there are _people."_

"Well, of course, Kuro-silly! That's what happens when you go out in public!"

Kurogane snatched the sweet out of Fai's hands and ate it himself, frowning.

"What is this, raspberry?"

"Not sure," said Fai with a shrug. Kurogane sighed and the two lapsed into a brief silence.

"So I've been thinking, Kuro-chu..." Fai said slowly, running his finger around the rim of his cup, "it's been two months now, right?"

Kurogane blushed.

"Yeah, I guess so," he muttered, looking away. "What of it?"

"Well, I was just wondering... if maybe- maybe we could move in together?" Fai asked, peering up at him shyly.

If Kurogane had been eating anything, he would have choked on it. As it was he just stared.

"How does that even make sense?" he demanded. "We go to two different schools more than an hour apart."

Fai immediately rushed into the explanation he had already prepared.

"Actually, my apartment's closer to your school than it is to mine- my classes are all in the afternoon so I don't mind the long drive. And I know rooming with the school is expensive, and you don't really have a job but I do and I've got plenty of room and- and- I... I just thought it might be nice," he finished lamely. He had forgotten the last half of his argument.

Kurogane leaned back in his chair and stared at Fai so long he felt himself blush.

"Alright," he finally said. Fai's eye lit up.

"Really, Kuro-pippi? You mean it?"

"Eh, sure, I guess. Why not?"

"Yay!" Fai exclaimed, and without warning he launched himself across the table and kissed him on the lips. Kurogane kissed him back at first, then suddenly shoved him away, blushing a deeper red than Fai thought possible.

_"Don't do that," _he hissed, eyes darting around the room to make sure no one had seen. But Fai could only smile.


	6. Exciting News

"Fai-san!" Sakura squealed the moment he and Kurogane walked through the door. "Fai-san, we have the most _exciting_ news!"

"Really? What is it?"

The poor girl could barely contain her excitement, but she bit her lip and whirled around to Syaoran.

"Can I tell them?" she begged. _"Please?"_

Syaoran laughed. "Of course!"

"We're getting married!" Sakura exclaimed, eyes shining brightly.

"Oh, that's _wonderful,_ Sakura-chan! Kuro-tan, isn't that lovely?"

"Sure," mumbled Kurogane. Sakura punched him.

"Don't be such a spoilsport," she told him.

"May I see the engagement ring?" asked Fai.

"Of course!" said Sakura, waving her hand in his face. "It's diamond, my birthstone."

"Oh, my! It's beautiful!" exclaimed Fai. "I'm so excited for you!"

_"Syaoran_ and I already decided; the wedding's going to be right here!" Sakura said, spreading her arms wide to indicate the shop. She seemed more excited about being able to drop the honorific on Syaoran's name than anything else. Syaoran blushed red when she did. "Oh, and of course you two are invited! It's only two months away!"

Fai smiled.

"That sounds wonderful!" he said. Syaoran busied himself cleaning up the tables while Fai picked out a few treats, smiling and occasionally nodding and laughing in acknowledgement to Sakura's babbling.

"So, you're going to help me pick out a dress, right, Fai?" she asked, waving away the ivory dollars Kurogane tried to hand her. Fai laughed.

"Right," he confirmed. "We'll see you later, alright?"

"Come back soon!" called out Syaoran, but it was just habit by now. They always did.

_~ Many thanks go to Flowing Breeze, who wrote the first favorite/review. Short though it may have been, I was feeling very depressed and it totally made my day. Thank you so much. You are officially the entire reason this chapter was finished so soon._

_Thanks also to Olivia Eternal Song, who pointed out that Sakura's birthstone is diamond, not amethyst. I had absolutely no idea, so thanks for letting me know, hon :)_

_And, of course... reviews will be loved, polished, and displayed on a shelf. Reviewers will be given cookies and a free puppy. ~_


	7. Three Words

It was Sunday. The Chocolate Shoppe was closed on Sundays, which meant that usually there wasn't anyone there but Syaoran, who lived in the loft above. But this Sunday, there was also Sakura, Kurogane, Fai, and lots and lots of obnoxiously heavy boxes. The boxes belonged to Sakura, and they were helping her move in with Syaoran.

"Kuro-daddy is so _strong!" _cooed Fai. Kurogane grunted under the weight of three giant boxes, glaring at the small box Fai clutched in his hands.

"You could _help,"_ he growled.

"Oh, but I _am_ helping, Kuro-burro!" said Fai, waggling what looked like a wooden jewelry box in his face. Kurogane frowned and headed to the back, through the kitchen and up the stairs to Syaoran's loft, Fai trailing behind him happily.

"Would you quit that whistling?" Kurogane demanded, dumping the boxes on the ground unceremoniously. Fai laughed, making Kurogane flush- he loved that laugh- but he stopped whistling, at least.

"_Syaoran,_ it's almost noon," Sakura said as her fiancé began to open another box. "Why don't we get something to eat?"

"That sounds good," agreed Syaoran. "We can run right down the street and bring something back for you two in about twenty minutes."

"Unless you want to come with us, of course," added Sakura, but Fai shook his head.

"No, that's alright," he said, flopping down on the floor. "You two go ahead, we'll wait right here."

"Alright," said Syaoran. "Sakura-ch… _Sakura,_ let's go."

Sakura beamed as she followed him down the stairs.

"Help yourselves to any of the sweets in the fridge," she called over her shoulder.

"Princess-" began Syaoran in an exasperated tone, but was interrupted by a loud _thump_ that sounded suspiciously like someone being hit on the head with a blunt heavy object.

"_Stop calling me that!"_ insisted Sakura's voice. Fai laughed.

"They're such a cute couple, don't you think, Kuro-chama?" Fai asked as his boyfriend- _boyfriend,_ he loved that word- sat down next to him. Kurogane grunted a 'sure', frowning. Fai shot him a glance out of the corner of his eye, a sly grin tugging at his lips that Kurogane had learned meant great evil was soon to follow.

"You know, Kuro-pon," he whispered, grabbing his hand and leaning close, "we're all alone now."

"You're kidding, right, Fai-chan? You know this is someone else's _house?"_

Fai leaned back, mock pouting.

"Come on, Kuro-chi. Just a little kiss?"

Kurogane looked at him and couldn't help but think that no living being should have the right to look as cute as that. It was impossible to resist. He reached out and ruffled Fai's hair, tilted up his chin and kissed him.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Fai, crawling into his lap. Kurogane sighed and wrapped his arms around Fai's chest, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"… Kuro-puppy?" Fai asked after a few moments of silence. His voice was shaking, like he was scared.

"Yeah?"

"I…" Fai started to say, but hesitated, then dropped his head. "Nevermind," he mumbled. Kurogane sighed, let go of his chest, grabbed his shoulders and turned his boyfriend- yes, he loved that word, too- around to face him.

"What is it?" he demanded. Fai looked away.

"It's nothing, Kuro-sena. Forget it."

"It is _not_ nothing," Kurogane growled. "Spit it out."

"I…" Fai stammered, blushing under Kurogane's intense glare. "I love you," he whispered.

Kurogane's eyes widened. This, of all things, he had not expected, and he found his cheeks blushing a red almost as dark as Fai's. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, realized he still hadn't thought of what to say, closed it again and worked his jaw thoughtfully. His mind was completely blank.

But then he looked at Fai's painfully fragile eye, his slightly tossled hair, the white T-shirt he had borrowed from Kurogane that morning when he couldn't find any clean clothes, and he realized that he _did_, in fact, know exactly what to say. He leaned forward and kissed Fai gently.

"I love you, too," he whispered.


	8. The Crash

**One Year Ago**

Fai leaned forward from where he was sitting in the back seat.

"Ashura-chan," he cooed in his best imitation-sexy-woman voice, which was surprisingly realistic for a man. Ashura jumped and swatted at him.

"Jeez, Fai-rin, don' _do_ that," he snapped, glaring over his shoulder. Fai laughed and slumped back against the seat. Yui's eyes peered back at him from the rear-view mirror.

"Put your seatbelt on, Fai," he ordered. Fai frowned.

"Neither of you are wearin' it," he pointed out. Yui's eyes narrowed.

"The driver's side is broken, remember? And Ashura-san isn't my little brother so I can't order him around, although he _should_ be wearing one, too."

Ashura grinned nastily at Fai.

"You gonna let him just order ya around like that, Fai-rin?" he teased.

"Shut up," Fai grumbled, buckling the seatbelt in place. "Why am I sitting in the back, anyway? It's my car, I should be able to do what I want."

"You can do whatever you want when you and Ashura-san get your licenses back. You're lucky enough I don' tell Ma and Pa, let alone that I drive you two to school everyday."

"Hey, that was _not _our fault!" Fai protested.

"We were goin' all of three miles over the speed limit," agreed Ashura. Yui frowned.

"You should know by now I can tell when both of you are lying," he said. "The cop said you two were racin' down Main Street."

Fai slumped over in the back seat and sulked.

"Whatever," he grumbled under his breath.

"The cop was drunk," muttered Ashura.

"_You two_ were drunk, and you're lucky the cop didn't test you," snapped Yui. Fai rolled his eyes, then grinned.

"All this luck, Yui," he said. "I'm beginning to think it has more to do with _skill."_

Yui cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know what skill you could possibly posess that would prevent a cop from knowin' you were drinking," he said.

"The ability to hold our liquor very, very well," joked Ashura. Yui sighed.

"Oh, come on, Yui, lighten up!" said Fai, poking his shoudler.

"Don't mess with the driver," Yui warned.

"Hey, Fai-rin, he's _smiling!"_ cried Ashura.

"Shut up," said Yui, shoving him, but the smirk was apparent on his face. Ashura laughed.

"Pull over here," he said suddenly, pointing out the window at a little store with the words _The Chocolate Shoppe _written in fancy letters on the window. "This place has the best hot chocolate in town."

"No, we're gonna be late," Yui said, frowning. Ashura sighed.

"Hey, whatever happened to that girl, what's her name…" Fai thought for a moment, wearing a grin that Yui and Ashura knew all too well boded great evil. _"Tomoyo?"_

Yui's face immediately turned beet red.

"We're goin' out," he mumbled.

"What was that, Yui? I couldn't hear you," taunted Fai.

"I said we're goin' out!" he yelled, twisting around in his seat to glare at his younger twin. "So what if I am?"

Yui kept his hand steady on the wheel for the straight stretch of road they were on, his eyes trained on Fai. Fai giggled.

"Well, she's four years younger than you, Yui-" he began, but he never got the chance to finish teasing him because suddenly there was a horrendous crash, and suddenly there was a horrible pain in Fai's right leg and left eye, and suddenly he woke up.

"Fai-san, you alright, hon?"

Fai jerked awake. He was in the chocolate shop, head pressed against the table. A cup of hot chocolate and a half-finished cake sat before him, and he stared at the steam rising up for a long time, trying to regain his composure, before looking up at Sakura.

"Yes, I'm fine," he told her. "Just a little tired."

His face must have betrayed him, because the concern in her eyes didn't even flicker. She sat down across from him.

"You know," she said, "as much as I like to see you happy, you don't _have_ to smile all the time. It's okay to be sad every once in a while."

Fai stared at her. She twirled a fork around in her fingers, speared a piece of Fai's cake and popped it into her mouth.

"You crashed less than a block down the street, Fai-san," she said softly. "I was there."

Fai's eye widened. He pushed himself away from the table and stood up so fast he knocked his chair over. Sakura looked up at him, waiting to see what he would say.

He didn't say anything. He tossed thirty ivory dollars on the table- payment for the free cake and hot chocolate- and walked out the door with the slight limp he had had for almost a year now.

_~ Aw! Poor Fai-san. Sometimes I feel bad for him. Anyways, just a quick FYI- all the times for the flashbacks are used in reference to the first chapter. Otherwise, this scene actually happened almost three years ago, because Kurogane and Fai have been dating for so long._

_Everything is supposed to happen in, above, or directly in front of The Chocolate Shoppe. But I really, really wanted to write the car crash scene- so I had Fai dream it while he was in The Chocolate Shoppe. I feel like I cheated T.T_

_Reviews will be loved, polished, and displayed on a shelf. Reviewers will be granted the next chapter in record time, because I'm all out of cookies and the puppies ran away :P ~_


	9. Some People are Stupid and Mean

_~ WARNING: Somewhat-mild language, depending on your definition of mild, I suppose. I rated this K+ so I just thought I should warn you! ~_

"Come on, Kuro-pie, have a piece! Just one little bite!" Fai begged, waving the chocolate truffle under Kurogane's nose.

"I can feed myself, you know," he snapped, but the moment he parted his lips Fai shoved the treat in, resulting in the last half of his statement sounding more like 'mmpf!'. He chewed, swallowed, and glared. "Don't _do_ that," he hissed, but Fai only smiled.

"Aw, is Kuro-pin shy?" he teased, crawling into Kurogane's lap. Kurogane glanced around the shop, which had even more people in it than usual. Sakura had tried to explain as she rushed past, carrying a tray that was so laden with hot chocolate, cake, pudding, and other sweets that it threatened to topple over, but all Kurogane got was something about an after-party for a football game. Well, that explained why half the people there were wearing their school jackets.

"Fai-chan, get off. Not in public. Not right now," Kurogane told him. Fai pouted and didn't move. What was the idiot doing? Didn't he know that not everyone, well, _appreciated_ their relationship? Kurogane looked up and caught several stares in their direction. As soon as they saw him looking back, they would turn away and start whispering to whoever sat next to them. He looked back at Fai. "Get off," he said firmly, and Fai slid off his legs with a sigh.

"You're no fun, Kuro-wanpa," he sulked, then leaned against his arm. It was getting cool, leaves just beginning to change their color, and today was particularly chilly so Kurogane had lent him his jacket (which meant that Kurogane himself was left shivering in nothing but an orange T-shirt). Fai, on the other hand, stayed nice and toasty inside the black leather jacket, the dragon mascot on the back contradicting the Phoenix University turtleneck he was wearing. Kurogane glanced around again.

"Fai-chan, I think we should leave," he said, starting to feel uncomfortable with all the eyes focused on him.

"What? No, not yet! I want to tell Sakura-chan about this _beautiful_ dress I saw the other day, and it was on sale, too! I think she'll love it," Fai said. Kurogane shook his head.

"We can come back later," he said. "Syaoran-chan and Sakura-chan are busy right now and I really don't think we should bother them."

"But we're not!" protested Fai. "They're just ignoring us right now, haven't you noticed?"

Inwardly, Kurogane groaned. What did he have to do, spell it out for him? But if Fai didn't get it, then Kurogane most certainly was not going to explain it to him.

"Listen, if we leave right now, we can get to the mall before it closes and _I'll _buy that dress for Sakura-chan, and we can give it to her as an early wedding gift."

Fai's eye glinted.

"What's this, Kuro-pon? You _never_ want to go to the mall!"

"Well, we haven't been in a while. And we _do_ need to get Sakura-chan and Syaoran-chan a gift."

"Come on, Kurgs. You know I can tell when you're making stuff up like that. What are you getting at?"

"Nothing," Kurogane said hurriedly. Fai smirked and leaned in dangerously close.

"Alright," he said, "I'll just have to worm it out of you!"

And then he kissed Kurogane before Kurogane could stop him or push him away.

"What, do you _want_ to go to Hell or something?"

Fai pulled away and looked up at the kid who had stood up and was now glaring at him. His friends stood up, too, sneering.

"Homo," muttered one. "Tell him, Reed."

The kid called Reed spat on the ground at their feet.

"You're going to Hell," he repeated. "You little queer. It's not that hard to be _normal."_

His friends snickered, and one of them muttered an audible _"Fag."_

Fai was frozen in place, eye widened in shock. Even Kurogane was surprised. He had thought they had at least a few more minutes before anything happened.

And then Fai pulled away from him.

"Fai-chan, wait-" Kurogane called after him, grabbing his hand, but Fai slipped out of his grasp, pushed open the door and flew down the street. For a man who limped everywhere, he was surprisingly fast.

The only pause Kurogane gave before running after him was to shoot a glare over his shoulder at the kids.

Then he was out the door, down the street and chasing after Fai.

_~ To Anonymous: Don't worry about it, hon. You're kinda right :) Wish I could tell you the reason . And I would love to steal your idea for cowboy Fai/Kurogane _XD_ (with your permission, of course)._

_I'm sorry you guys had to go through that whole hassle. I don't know why I felt the need to write what I did, when the alternative was so much better (not to mention post-able). Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoyed not only this chapter, but all the chapters to come :) ~_


	10. Consolation

"He's not answering," muttered Syaoran.

"Try again," urged Sakura, her voice anxious. Syaoran frowned, picked up the phone and dialed Kurogane's cell number again. Finally, on the eleventh ring, Kurogane picked up.

"Hello?" his voice was husky and out of breath. Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kurogane-san! Did you find him?" Syaoran demanded. There was a pause.

"Yeah," he finally said. "Yeah, he's right here."

Sakura couldn't wait for Syaoran to hand her the phone. She dashed up the stairs and picked up the other line.

"Is Fai-san alright?" she demanded. Kurogane sighed.

"Yeah. Here, why don't you talk to him?"

There was a muffled whimper and a slightly less muffled "They're worried about you, idiot. Just talk to them." A rustling sound as the phone exchanged hands, and Fai's shaking voice filled the line.

"Hello?"

"Fai-san! Are you alright?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan! I'm just fine," Fai assured her with forced happiness. Sakura gripped the cord in her hands.

"Fai-san, you don't have to pretend you're happy all the time," she said softly. "I know I've told you that before."

There was a sharp intake of breath and then a long exhale.

"I'm sorry," Fai whispered.

"Don't worry about it," Syaoran told him, covering for his fiancé's brazenness. He could hear Fai sniffling and murmuring to Kurogane that no, he most certainly was _not_ crying.

"I'm going to give the phone back to Kurogane," he said, and more rustling as he passed the device back to its owner. They could hear him breaking into sobs the moment he did.

"Hey."

"Tell Fai-san that we kicked those people out," Sakura said. "They're not welcome here anymore, so they won't bother you."

"Thanks," muttered Kurogane. He sounded distracted, probably because he was trying to comfort Fai at the same time.

"We closed up early, too," Syaoran added. "So you two can come back if you want, and we can go someplace…"

"Maybe go see a movie," offered Sakura.

"Nah. I think… I think we're just going to go home for right now. Fai-chan, you are _not_ goin' to Hell," he suddenly snapped, and Sakura bit her lip. Kurogane sighed. "Listen, um… thanks for everything. We'll try to drop by tomorrow. But I think we're just going to go home now."

"Alright," Sakura said, and Kurogane could hear the way she furrowed her brow in worry in her voice. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Will do."

He snapped the phone shut, and Syaoran and Sakura were left in silence.

_~ Sorry I took so long to finish this. I sort of left it untouched for a while. I also apologize for it being so short. Has anyone else noticed that each chapter has been getting progressively longer and longer? Normally I wouldn't care, but I want to finish this story ASAP, just to prove that I can- I've yet to finish a single chapter story, be it for this site or anything else. More words = more work = I'll go around the rest of my life leaving a trail of half-finished junk in my wake._

_I added a summary to the previous chapter, just for those of you who don't have accounts here. I'd recommend going back and reading it. I've realize that some key editing would make that story post-able, so I'm working on that now :)_

_This chapter is dedicated to all the unsigned reviewers: Raine, Anonymous, Mimi and Anonymous. Thanks, guys. Your help is appreciated._

_Infinite thanks to Flowing Breeze, who has reviewed almost every single chapter. Love ya, hon :)_

_Reviews will be loved, polished, and set carefully on the floor until my shelf has been fixed. Reviewers will be given cookies and a free kitten (we're still looking for the puppies). ~_


	11. Officially Friends

**One Year Ago**

"Ya know, I think that's the first time I've seen you really smile."

Fai folded the faded picture into fourths, tucked it back into his pocket and grinned at Sakura.

"I always smile," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm looking at that silly grin you always paste on your face right now," snapped Sakura, picking up his empty mug and slamming down a new one. "I mean _really_ smile."

Fai was taken aback, but then he laughed.

"Can't get much by you, can I?" he asked softly.

"Got that right, hon," she said, disappearing into the back briefly to hand Syaoran the dirty dishes. They exchanged a few quick words and then she reappeared, wiping her hands off on her apron. "We're closing up in ten minutes," she told him. Fai was the only one left in the shop. He stood up.

"Alright," he said. "I really should be going anyways."

"Actually, Syaoran and I are going out for dinner tonight. I know it's late, but we were wondering if you'd like to come."

Fai paused.

"Oh," he said. It had been a long time since anyone had invited him anywhere. "I- I'd hate to impose."

"You're not imposing if someone invites you, Fai-san," Sakura told him. "We're going to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. D'you want to come or not?"

"I-" Fai hesitated. He could tell from the ever-so-slightly-annoyed way Syaoran was stacking the chairs that this was supposed to be a date. But he could also tell that Sakura really wanted him to come, and all he had waiting for him at home was a bowl of ramen. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"Great!" Sakura beamed, and even Syaoran smiled. "We'll be ready in twenty minutes, 'kay?"

"That sounds great," said Fai, smiling. "I'll help you clean up."

_~ Back to short (not to mention less depressing) chapters, it seems. MUCH more managable :)_

_Last chapter I just thanked Flowing Breeze; this chapter is dedicated to her. Six reviews and counting. I can't begin to thank you enough :)_

_Reviews will be loved, polished, and displayed on my newly-fixed shelf. Reviewers will be given cookies and a free kitten. ~_


	12. A Beautiful Dress and an Unwanted Tuxedo

"Don't you think it's just _beautiful,_ Fai-san?" asked Sakura, twirling around for show. She stopped and did a little curtsy in his direction, beaming. Fai clapped his hands.

"It's absolutely lovely," he told her, smiling. Sakura was the picture of happiness and excitement.

"Princess? Is it alright to come down?" called Syaoran. Sakura gasped.

"No!" she squealed, diving behind the counter and hiding. "It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding!"

"I think that's only on the day _of _the wedding," said Fai, laughing. Sakura hesitated, then slwoly stood up and came back out, blushing. Syaoran smiled.

"You look like… a princess," he said, eyes sparkling. For once, Sakura didn't seem to mind the nickname, and she did another twirl for his benefit. The pink and white fabric rustled slightly every time she moved, ribbons trailing just inches off the ground.

"You don't look half-bad yourself, Syaoran-chan," said Fai. "What do you think, Kuro-cakes?"

Kurogane looked up from where he was leaning against the wall, trying not to look interested. He looked Syaoran up and down, grunted an unintelligible response and went back to pretending he was bored- or tried to. Suddenly Fai was in his face, shoving a bag of soft and rustly somethings that looked suspiciously like formal clothes in his hands.

"Come on, Kuro-chu! There's clothes for you and me, too!"

Kurogane's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Heck no," he growled. Fai grinned.

"We have to try them on now! Wouldn't want to put them on on Sakura-chan's wedding day and find out they don't fit!" He started to drag Kurogane off by the arm. Kurogane cursed.

"I am _not_ wearing those!" he insisted, trying to twist free of Fai's surprisingly strong grasp, but it was to no avail. Fai held on tight and didn't even seem to hear his protests, dragging him up the stairs so they could change.

Syaoran smiled at Sakura.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he told her. Sakura's eyes shone.

"Just two more weeks," she sang, spinning around the room happily. She passed by him and he caught her, stole a quick kiss on her lips and twirled around with her, laughing until they were so dizzy they collapsed on the floor. Just a few minutes later, Fai re-entered the room.

"What do you think?"

Sakura propped herself up to get a better look at him. The old-fashioned brown vest, white dress shirt and black suit pants, complete with a wide-brimmed black top hat, suited him perfectly.

"I think you have better fashion sense than me," she said wistfully. Fai laughed and waved the compliment away.

"Oh, I had a friend help me pick it out," he said dismissively.

"Yes, but you helped me pick this dress out, too," she pointed out. "Where's Kurogane-san?"

"Hmm?" Fai looked behind him, frowning. "He was just here a second ago…" He dashed upstairs to see if Kurogane had retreated to where no one else could see him. A few seconds later the entire shop was filled with Kurogane's angry roar.

"I am NOT wearin' a TUX, dang it!"

"Oh, come on, Kuronmii! You look so cute!"

"I don't _care,_ it's _not _happenin'!"

"Syaoran-chan is wearin' one…"

Syaoran and Sakura glanced at each other nervously. Kurogane actually sounded pretty mad. His southern accent- which was normally so faint you barely noticed it- came out strongly when he was really angry. Fai had a tendency to mimic him without realizing it, which usually made Kurogane even angrier.

"_Syaoran-chan_ is the one gettin' hitched! I don' even know how to _wear_ half this stuff!"

"Well, I could help ya…"

"It don' matter! I'll pick somethin' out for myself. I ain't wearin' this."

"Please, Kuro-pon? Just for me?"

"No! No means _no _this time, Fai-chan! Yer not gonna just look at me an' I'll- no, wait, Fai-chan, don't… listen, I'm sorry, I just don' want to… look… if you really want me to that bad, I guess it won' hurt to wear it jus' this once…"

"Yay!" Fai cheered, his voice bright and happy like nothing had happened, and Syaoran and Sakura were left to wonder what it was, exactly, Fai had done to make Kurogane give in so easily.

Syaoran helped Sakura to her feet just as Fai entered with a very annoyed, very flustered Kurogane in tow. Despite the blush burning on his cheeks and the sour look on his face, Sakura thought that he looked rather handsome in the suit.

"There!" said Fai happily. "Everything fits everyone perfectly!"

"I still need a veil," Sakura said, almost to herself. "I definitely don't like the one that came with this dress."

"I could make you one," Fai offered. Sakura's eyes lit up.

"Really?" she said. "You know how?"

Fai laughed.

"Of course," he said. "If Kuro-bear will pick up a few things from the mall tonight, I can get it to you tomorrow afternoon!"

"Oh, thank you so much, Fai-san!" cried Sakura, throwing her arms around him in a big hug. Then she stepped back and slipped her hand into Syaoran's, beaming. "I can't wait."

_~ Yay! Getting married is so much fun :) … not that I'd know :P_

_GEEZ, that chapter was long. How'd I manage to finish that plus the last one in the same day??? Ah, well. My apologies for suddenly throwing that heavy southern accent at you. It was important that the story take place in the south, but the accents didn't really matter so I just didn't bother with them… but when I imagined Fai and Kuro-woof fighting, I just couldn't get rid of those heavy accents in my head, so I just went with it :)_

_Thanks to Big Kitty, not for an abundance of reviews, but for the long list of Kuro-nicknames posted on her profile. Kuro-cakes and Kuro-bear belong to her._

_Reviews will be loved, polished, and displayed on a shelf. Reviewers will receive a free kitten (Sorry, I ate all the cookie dough this morning XD) ~_


	13. Wedding, Part One

_~ THE NEW CHAPTER IS CHAPTER NINE! Sorry :) ~_

"Fai-san, I think I'm going to be sick," mumbled Sakura.

"You'll be fine," Fai assured her from the other side of the locked bathroom door. "You've still got twenty minutes. Just calm down."

"Something's going to go wrong, I just _know_ it," wailed Sakura.

"Is that girl really stressing out because everything's been going perfect?" demanded Kurogane.

"_So far,"_ stressed Chii, appearing around the corner. "Where is the blushing bride, anyway?"

"I'm in here," called Sakura. Chii frowned.

"Now, what in the _world_ are you doin' in there, hon?" she drawled. "Get out here so we can see you proper. I wanna see that dress 'fore you walk down the aisle."

There was no answer.

"Don' make me come in there," warned Chii. The lock clicked open and the door slowly swung out. Sakura's eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

"I look horrible," she sniffed. Chii's mouth twisted into a disapproving frown.

"Well, if you hadn't holed yourself up and cried for twenty minutes over nothin', then you'd look jus' fine," she scolded. Sakura bit her lip.

Fai knelt down and wiped away some of the smudged mascara on her cheek.

"Well, now," he said, "this looks perfectly managable. Kuro-sama, why don't you go check on Toya-san and Syaoran-chan? I haven't heard from either of them."

Kurogane grumbled something about this being the fifth time he had to play messenger, but he left.

"Where's your make-up, hon?" asked Chii. Sakura pointed morosely at the make-up bag on the bathroom sink. Fai picked it up and examined the contents.

"Yes, this will do nicely," he said. "Chii-kun, would you please go tell Mrs. Ichihara that we could use her help?"

"Um, sure," said Chii, dashing downstairs to look for Sakura's mother.

"Now, let's get this mascara off your cheeks, shall we?" said Fai, running a cloth under warm water and ringing it out, dabbing at her face. He whipped out more mascara and expertly reapplied it for her.

"Sakura? Where are you, darling?" called Yuko.

"I'm in here, Mum!"

"What's wrong, Sakura?" she asked, peering over Fai's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be fine, Mrs. Ichihara. We just had a little make-up mishap," Fai assured her. Yuko moved past him and cupped Sakura's face in her hands.

"Have you been crying?" she demanded. Sakura nodded her head. "I thought as much. Everyone does on their wedding day, love."

"Fai-chan!" Kurogane suddenly yelled from another room. "We have a wardrobe malfunction!"

"Coming!" Fai said. He handed Yuko a small jar of foundation. "I leave her in your hands," he said before dashing out the door.

Syaoran, Toya, and Kurogane were waiting for him in the master bedroom. Syaoran was fingering the bow tie nervously, glancing at the jacket that lay on the bed.

"What's going on?"

"The jacket, um, ripped," said Syaoran. Fai picked it up and looked at it. There was an obvious three-inch gash on the right sleeve. Fai frowned.

"How did this happen?"

Toya pointed wordlessly to the exposed nail head poking out of the corner of an ancient dresser. He seemed annoyed at Syaoran, like he thought he had done it on purpose with the intent of ruining his sister's wedding day.

"What should I do?" Syaoran asked anxiously. Fai sighed, grabbed the bag he had brought with him off the floor (the one that he had insisted to Kurogane was most certainly _not_ a purse, he just needed to bring a few things with him to the wedding, and besides it only really matched this outfit so he should wear it while he could), and rifled through it, pulling out a needle and some black thread.

"I'm not sure I have enough," he said, "so if I don't finish you can just use Kuro-tan's. He doesn't want to wear it, anyway." He glanced up to see Toya glaring daggers at Syaoran, who looked like he was about to throw up, and hastily added, "Toya-san, why don't you go check on Sakura? You flew all the way out here from Britain and I don't think she's seen you at all since you got here."

"The plane was delayed. We didn't get here until this morning," Toya said.

"Is that an excuse to not say hello to your sister?

Toya sighed, uncrossed his arms, and left with one final glare in Syaoran's direction.

"I don't think he likes me," mumbled Syaoran.

"He's just jealous," Fai assured him as he began to hurriedly stitch the cloth back together. "I remember Sakura-chan telling me he's a little over-protective sometimes. He's just looking out for his little sister."

Syaoran nodded weakly.

"You're such a pushover, kid. Don't let him get to you," Kurogane told him.

"I'm not a kid, Kurogane-san. I'm the same age as you," Syaoran said. Kurogane grinned, but Syaoran didn't think it was funny. "At least _I_ had the guts to propose before you did."

Kurogane's eyes bugged, then narrowed into slits.

"What did you say?" he growled. Fai chuckled.

"Now, now, Kurgy," he soothed, "it wouldn't do for our groom to show up downstairs with a black eye, would it? Syaoran-chan, how much time do we have?"

"About five minutes."

Fai frowned.

"See if Kuro-tama's jacket fits," he said without looking up. There was a rustle of fabric as Kurogane shedded the loathed garment and handed it to the groom.

"It's too big," said Syaoran.

"_Way_ too big," emphasized Kurogane. Fai furrowed his brow and increased the pace of his sewing tenfold, the needle almost a blur. Outside, they could hear Toya coaxing his suddenly very shy sister down the hall.

"I can't; he'll see me!" Sakura insisted. "That's bad luck! Syaoran has to go down first."

"Toya," Yuko said suddenly, "is Yukito here? I just realized I didn't see him downstairs, and him being the third most important person and all-"

"He's here, Mum. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, darling, I just wanted to make sure. Chii-kun, would you run and tell my son-in-law-to-be that if he's not out in ten minutes, we're starting without him? There's a love."

Chii poked her head through the doorway a few moments later.

"We heard," Kurogane told her.

"Good," said Chii, then caught sight of Fai. "What on Earth are you _doin',_ Fai-san?"

"I ripped my jacket," Syaoran said sheepishly.

"Ya know, hon, Sakura has a sewin' machine," she informed him. Fai didn't even slow down.

"Can you get it read in nine minutes?"

"Sure can," she said, sprinting down the hall only to reappear a minute later. She pushed past Syaoran and took less than another minute to plug it in an dset up a spool of black thread.

"Perfect," said Fai, deftly tying a knot and snapping the thread with his teeth. He stood up, slipped the jacket arm under the needle and set to work. He was done just a few minutes later and he tossed the jacket at Syaoran. "Let's go! Kuro-pon, tell Sakura she can come down in three minutes!"

Kurogane grumbled something about this being the sixth time he had to play messenger but ran down the hall to tell her with Chii close behind. Fai ushered a dazed Syaoran down the stairs.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he told Fai.

"Too late for that," said Fai, humming tunelessly to himself as he pushed him along.

_~ Oh. My. GAWD. Five pages! *sob* I think my hand is planning a mutiny against my brain. I wouldn't blame it T.T_

_Sorry to cut such an important chapter in half, but as I said before, I wrote FIVE. PAGES. I think you can survive off of that until tomorrow. That's more than the first four chapters combined D:_

_This chapter is dedicated to the people who have written more than one review: Flowing Breeze (9), deepest shadow (4), Uakari (3), and Big Kitty (2). If enough people ask me to, I'll go back and give Sakura a bachelorette party _XD_ (sorry, I have a tendency to bribe people. Like, a lot)_

_So. Sakura's British. Yeah. I decided this about half-way through writing this chapter 0.o So now I'm going back to make everything she says sound British, which means she says 'love' instead of 'hon' _:P

_Oh, and did anyone notice? Last chapter was exactly 1,111 words_ XD

_Reviews will be loved, polished, and displayed in a gold-plated case I blew all the money I was supposed to be saving for Animazement on. The first reviewer will receive cookies and a free puppy. The rest just get kittens (we're still looking for the other puppies, sorry) ~_


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